a. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to printer cartridges for electrophotographic imaging devices, and in particular, to devices and methods for remanufacturing toner cartridges.
b. Background Art
Printer cartridges, such as toner cartridges, are used in various electrophotographic imaging devices, such as laser printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and multifunction imaging devices. Once original equipment manufacturer (OEM) toner cartridges are used, they are often recycled and remanufactured. The process of remanufacturing a toner cartridge may include cleaning the cartridge, repairing damaged parts, replacing worn parts, reassembling with new parts, and replenishing the cartridge with toner. The process of remanufacturing a toner cartridge requires that the toner cartridge be disassembled so that access to the various parts can be achieved, and further requires that the toner cartridge be reassembled for subsequent use.
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) typically orient and align the parts of an OEM toner cartridge together by ultrasonic or plastic welding. For example, toner cartridge parts that may be welded together by ultrasonic or plastic welding may include the toner hopper and the waste hopper, the end caps and the toner hopper such as the contact end cap and the toner hopper, and the end plates and the waste hopper. Such parts may also be held together with one or more fasteners, such as screws, or another type of fastener. During the remanufacturing disassembly process, the welded parts are typically detached from each other by breaking or cutting the ultrasonic or plastic welds and/or the fasteners. The breaking or cutting process may involve using conventional tools, such as blades, screw drivers, and rotary tools, in combination with force to break or cut the ultrasonic or plastic welds and/or the fasteners. As a result of such breaking or cutting, the original weld and fastener locations may not have sufficient material left to be secured with new fasteners. For example, after disassembly, threaded holes or openings may have stripped or worn threads that do not allow a fastener, such as a threaded screw, to adequately secure the disassembled toner cartridge parts back together.
In the process of remanufacturing, known devices and methods exist for securing back together disassembled toner cartridge parts such as toner hoppers and contact end caps. Such known devices and methods include using adhesives or glues to secure the disassembled toner cartridge parts back together. However, such known adhesives or glues can increase the time for remanufacturing the toner cartridge, as there is typically a waiting period of minutes or hours required for sufficient bonding of the toner cartridge parts with the adhesive or glue. Moreover, keeping the toner cartridge parts properly aligned while waiting for the adhesive or glue to bond can be challenging and can increase the overall time for remanufacturing. In addition, such adhesives or glues can bond the toner cartridge parts so strongly together that subsequent disassembly and separation for additional cycles of remanufacturing can be difficult, resulting in decreased efficiency in the remanufacturing process or possible damage to the toner cartridge. Other known devices and methods of securing disassembled toner cartridge parts back together include performing ultrasonic or plastic welding at the original weld location or at another location on the toner cartridge. However, such ultrasonic and plastic welding can be complex processes requiring expensive equipment and machinery and can increase the overall cost of remanufacturing. Moreover, such ultrasonic and plastic welding can join the toner cartridge parts so strongly together that subsequent disassembly and separation for additional cycles of remanufacturing can be difficult, resulting in decreased efficiency in the remanufacturing process or possible damage to the toner cartridge.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved device and method for removably securing desired toner cartridge parts together, such as the contact end cap and the toner hopper, during remanufacturing of a toner cartridge that overcome the issues associated with known devices and methods.